Current-distributer and circuit-breaker for gas-engine igniters.



No. 740,020. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

T. B. JEFFERY. CURRENT DISTRIBUTER AND CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR GAS ENGINE IGNITERS.

APPLICATION TILED NOV. 24, 1902.

R0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT.-29,'1903.

T. B. JEFFERY. I CURRENT DISTRIBUTER AND CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR GAS ENGINE IGNITERS.

. APPLIOATION FILED, ov. 24, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

2 SH/EETSSHEET 2.

I m eased-x UNITED STATES Patented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

CURRENT-DISTRIBUTER AND CIRCUIT-BREAKER FOR GAS-ENGINE lGNlTERS.

SPECIFICATION ibrrning' part of Letters Patent No. 740,020, dated September 29, 1903.

Application filed November 24, 1902. Serial No. 132,579. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. J EFFERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Current-Distributors and Circuit-Breakers for Gas-Engine Igniters, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved appliance -for controlling the current in charging and discharging the secondary coil to produce the ignitingspark in a cylinder of a gas-engine, and specifically it is designed for the purpose of distributing the current to the several cylinders in the order of their operation in an engine having a plurality of cylinders and making it possible to employ a single secondary coil for the purpose of furnishing the igniting-spark in the several cylinders of such an engine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of my improved distributer, showing the brackets by which it is designed to be mounted in any convenient position on the carriage or frame of the engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section at the line 2 2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan of the contact-spring in the primary circuit. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a motorvehicle containing my improved devices, the side of the body of the vehicle being broken away to disclose the interior mechanism.

It will be understood that the ignition is effected in each cylinder by a spark produced as the discharge of a secondary coil, occurring when the primary or charging circuit is broken. I have not shown the cylinders nor the terminals of the igniting-circuit therein and have shown the primary and secondary coils and circuits only diagrammatically, because the specific location'or form of the sparking devices and other physical elements of the circuits'or ofthe igniting devices are not material to my invention, which may be applied to any gasrengine in which ignition is effected by the spark in a secondary circuit.

A is a case, which is mounted by means of a bracket A on the carriage, said case and bracket being of metal and the case being ing another journal-bearing in the bracket 0, which is also mounted on the carriage. At the lower end of the shaft B a pinion B affords means by which the shaft may be r0 tated, and it is contemplated that in the case of a four-cycle two-cy1inder engine it shall be driven by such geared connection with the main crank-shaft of the engine as to make one revolution for each two revolutions of such main crank-shaft.

Within the case A, toward the upper part, there are mounted two metallic cheeks D D on insulating-blocks D D, such cheeks being at diametrically opposite positions and curved approximately in arcs of a circle about the axis of the shaft B and constituting terminal contact-pieces for the secondary circuit. The shaft is terminated Within the case by an insulating block or cap B upon which there is mounted a spring-shoe or terminal contact-piece B which extends over the end of the shaft past the center and is in contact at the center with the terminal contact-piece E, supported on the insulating-block E,which is mounted on the inner. wall of the case. From one end of the secondary coil N the wire-circuit n is connected to said contactpiece E, extending through the aperture a in the case to reach said terminal. From the other end of the secondary coil the circuit-wire extends branched at n to the sparking devices (indicated at w w in two cylinders of the engine, (the device being here illustrated in a form suitable to be applied toan engine having two cylinders only.) From said sparking devices, respectively, the wires n 02 extend to the two terminal contactpieces D D, respectively. The spring-shoe B is arranged to come into contact with the terminal contact-pieces D D as the shaft revolves, and when in contact with either one it completes the secondary circuit through the sparking device in the cylinder to which the wire runs from such cheek. 'Thus each sparking device is thrown into the secondary circuit once in each revolution of the shaft B and remains in the circuit during a portion of that revolution dependent upon the extent of the check or terminal contact-piece D. G is a terminal contact-piece supported on an insulating-block H, which is mounted on the inner wall of the case A toward the bottom of the latter opposite an aperture a in the case, through which a wire a; of the primary circuit leading from the primary coil X enters and is connected to said terminal contact-piece. The primary circuit may include the shaft B and its bearings and the frame on which said bearings are mounted. On the shaft B, below the terminal insulatingblock B there is a collar J, having two lugs or wings J J, projecting at diametrically opposite positions, each sloped upon the upper surface similarly with respect to the rotation of the shaft. On a plate L, which rests on the bottom of the case A and is secured to the case by the screw Z, there is mounted a terminal contact-piece consisting of the spring K, which being secured at one end has the other end free and overhanging the path of rotation of the forward points of the wings or lugs J J and in the path of rota-. tion of the upper inclined faces of said lugs, so that as the shaft revolves said lugs successively enter under and crowd upward said free end of the spring K, which is thereby brought into contact with the under side of the contact-piece H, which overhangs said free end of the spring. The contact thus established closing the primary circuit is broken when the spring drops off the abrupt heel j of the lug J. The several contact-pieces are so disposed about the shaft 13 and with respect to the position of the spring-shoe B and the lugs J J as to cause, the order of action as the shaft revolves in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 1 to be as follows: Starting from the position in which the parts are shown in Fig. 1, at which no contacts are established, the spring-shoe B first comes into contact with the cheek D at one side, thus closing the secondary circuit through the sparking device of one cylinder. While this contact con: tinues the wing J on the cam J enters under the end of the spring K and as the shaft re- ,volves crowds said shaft up into contact with the contact-piece G, thereby closing the primary circuit and causing the secondary coil to be charged, and a little later when the heel of the cam runs off the spring K, the primary circuit being thereby broken, the secondary coil is discharged by a spark at iv in one of the cylinders, and a little later the secondary circuit is broken by the shoe B running-off the cheek D. All these contacts and circuit-breakings occur during one half revolution of the shaft, which corresponds to the full cycle of actionin one of the cylinders, and they are all duplicated in the same order during the other half of the revolution of the shaft B, corresponding to the full cycle of the other cylinder. Thus at each revolution of the shaft B the secondary circuit is first established through a branch containing the sparking device of one cylinder.

Then

the primary circuit being established the secondary coil is charged, and next the primary circuit being broken said coil is discharged by a spark at said sparking device. Next the secondary circuit through that branch is broken, and the process consisting of the same steps is repeated through the other half of the revolution, the secondary circuit being made through the other branch to cause explosionintheothercylinder. Thisstructure, it will be observed, requires but one primary and one'secondary coil in order to operate any desired number of cylinders, for it will be seen that the number of cheeks D D and wings J may be made to correspond to the number of cylinders, the same relation being preserved between each of them and the spring-shoe B ,the spring K, and contact-piece G, as above indicated.

The plate L, carrying the spring, is arranged to have a limited range of adjustment about the shaft by providing an elongated slot a through the case for the screw Z, which secures the plate, as stated above. This affords facility for varying with the limits of such adjustment the time of sparking. The contact-piece G, it will be noticed, is extended sufficiently to allow the maximum change of position of the spring K which the length of the slot (1 permits.

I claim v 1. A current distributer and breaker for explosive-engines, comprising a primary and secondary coil, and primary and secondary circuits including said coils respectively; a shaft revolved by the engine in uniform time relation thereto; a non-rotative element associated with the shaft; circuit closing and breaking devices in the secondary circuit having their cooperating terminal contact-pieces mounted respectively on the shaft and on the non-rotative element associated therewith; cooperating terminal contact-pieces for the primary circuit, both mounted on the nonrotative element and insulated from each other, the shaft being provided with means for establishing the primary circuit through said contact-pieces during a certain portion of the shafts revolution.

2. A current distributer and breaker for explosive-engines, comprising a primary and secondary coil, and primary and secondary circuitsinclnding said coils respectively; a shaft revolved by the engine and in uniform time relation thereto; a non-rotative element associated with the shaft, and circuit closers and breakers for the secondary circuit having their cooperating terminal contact-pieces mounted respectively on the shaft and on the non-rotative element; cooperating terminal contact-pieces for the primary circuit both mounted on the nonrotative element and insulated from each other, the shaft being provided with means for mechanically forcing said contact-pieces into contact as the shaft revolves.

3. A current distributor and breaker for an explosive-engine, comprising a primary and a secondary coil, and primary and secondary circuits including said coils respectively; a shaft revolved by the engine, and in uniform time relation thereto; a non-rotative case inclosing a portion of said shaft; insulated cooperating terminal contact-pieces in the secondary circuit mounted on said case, a corresponding insulated terminal contactpiece on the shaft, and an insulated conducting-bridge on the case making contact with the insulated terminal contact-piece on the shaft at the center of the latter; terminal contact-pieces for the primary circuit both mounted on the non-rotative case and insulated from each other; the shaft having a projection arranged to establish the primary circuit through said contact-pieces during a certain portion of the revolution of the shaft.

4. A current distributor and breaker for explosive-engines, comprising a primary and a secondary coil, and primary and secondary circuits including said coils respectively; a shaft revolved by the engine in uniform time relation thereto; a non-rotative case inclosing a portion of said shaft; insulated terminal contact-pieces for the secondarycircuit mounted on said case, a corresponding insu-, lated terminal contact piece on the shaft and an insulated conducting-bridge on the case, making contact with said insulated terminal contact-piece on the shaft at the center of the latter; and terminal contact-pieces for the primary circuit mounted on the nonrotative case and insulated from each other, the shaft being provided with means for mechanically forcing said terminal contactpieces into contact as the shaft revolves.

5. A current-distributor and circuit-breaker for an explosive-engine, havinga plurality of explosion -chambers, comprising a primary and a secondary coil and primary and secondary circuits including said coils respectively; a shaft revolved by the engine and in uniform time relation thereto; circuit closers and breakers carried thereby for the primary and secondary circuits respectively; a non-rotative case which incloses the portion of said shaft which carries said closers and breakers; insulated terminal contact-pieces in the secondary circuit, mounted on said case, corresponding insulated terminal contact-pieces on the shaft, and an insulated conducting bridge on the case making contact with said insulated terminal contact-piece on the shaft at the center of the latter; and terminal contact pieces for the primary circuit, both mounted onthe case and insulated from each other, and adapted to be forced into contact by the primary circuit-closer as the shaft rotates.

respectively; a non-rotating case which en-- compasses the portion of the shaft which carries the circuit closers and breakers; contactterminals for the respective branches of the secondary circuit, mounted and insulated on said case, and a single corresponding terminalcontact-piece mounted and insulatedon the shaft; the primary circuit having its contact-pieces both mounted on the case and insulated from each other; the shaft having the circuit breakers and closers for said primary circuit correspondinginnumber,and distribution about the shaft, to the number and dis tribution of the branches of the secondary circuit extending to the explosion-chambers respectively.

7. In combination with a case,A,and a shaft journaled therein rotated by the engine and in uniform time relation thereto, a primary circuit comprising said case and a contactpiece and a spring, both mounted on the case and one of them insulated therefrom and normally out of contact with the other; and a plurality of cams on the shaft in position to encounter said spring and force it against said contact-piece as the shaft revolves.

8. In a device for the purpose indicated, a case and a shaft journaled therein rotated by the enginein uniform time relation thereto; a contact-pieceand a spring mounted on the case and normally out of contact Witheach other, one of them being insulated from'the case; a primary circuit in which said case, contactpiece and spring are comprised; cams on the shaft arranged to force the spring against the con tact-piece as the shaft revolves; said cams corresponding in number and distribution about the axis of the shaft to the number and distribution in the complete cycle of the engines action of the explosions in the several explosion-chambers thereof; combined with a secondary circuit which comprises an insulated contact-piece carried by the shaft, and a plurality of cooperating insulated contactpieces mounted on the case, corresponding in number and distribution about the shaft-carried piece to the number and distribution throughout the complete cycle of the engines action of the explosions in the several chambers thereof, and in position respectively to be encountered by the shaft-carried piece during the closure of the primary circuit caused by such cam, and of such extent as to remain in contact after the breaking of the primary circuit.

9. In combination with the case, A, and

shaft journaled therein, the primary circuit comprising said case and a contact-piece mounted thereon; one of said parts being insulated from and the other electrically connected with the case; a second contact-piece mounted on the case and movable into and out of contact with the first-mentioned contact-piece; and a plurality of cams on the shaft, arranged to control the movement of said movable contact-piece into and out of contact with the other as the shaft revolves.

10. In combination with the case, A, and shaftjournaled therein, rotated by the engine in uniform time relation thereto, a primary circuit comprising said case, and two contact-pieces mounted on the case and insulated from each other, one of them being movable into and out of contact with the other; and cams on the shaft arranged to control the movement of the movable piece into and out of contact with the other piece as the shaft revolves.

11. In a device for the purpose indicate-d, a case, and a shaft journaled therein, rotated by the engine in uniform time relation thereto, two contact-pieces mounted on the case and insulated from each other, one of them being movable into and out of contact with the other; a primary circuit in which said contact-pieces are comprised; cams on the shaft, arranged to control the movement of the movable pieces into and out of contact with the other as the shaft revolves; said cams corresponding in number and distribution about the axis of the shaft to the number and distribution in a complete cycle of the engines action of the explosions in the several explosion-chambers thereof; combined with a secondary circuit which comprises an insulated contact-piece carried by the shaft and a plurality of cooperating insulated contact-pieces mounted on the case corresponding in number and distribution about the path of the shaft-carried piece to the number and distribution throughout a complete cycle of the engines action of the explosions in the several chambers thereof, and in position respectively to be encountered by the shaftcarried piece during the closure of the primary circuit caused by such cam, and of such extent as to remain in contact after the breaking of the primary circuit.

12. In combination with the case, A, and a shaft journaled therein, rotated by the engine and in uniform time relation thereto, a primary circuit comprising two contact-pieces mounted on the case and insulated from each other, one of them being movable into and out of contact with the other; a plurality of cams on the shaft, arranged to control the movement of the movable piece into and out of such contact as the shaft revolves.

13. In a device for the purpose indicated, the primary circuit comprising a case, A, a shaft journaled in the case and revolved by the engine in uniform time relation thereto, and a contact-piece on said case; one of said parts being insulated and the other not insulated from the engine-frame; a spring mounted on the case, and cams on the shaft arranged to force the spring against said contact-piece as the shaft revolves, said cams a plurality of cooperating insulated contactpieces mounted on the case, corresponding in number and distribution about the path of the shaft-carried piece to the number and distribution throughout the complete cycle of the engines action of the explosions in the several chambers thereof, and in position respectively to be encountered by the shaftcarried piece during the closure of the primary circuit caused by said cams, and of such extent as to remain in contact after the breaking of the primary circuit.

14. In a device for the purpose indicated, the primary circuit, comprisinga case, A, and its metal supports on the engine-frame; an insulated contact-piece on said case; a spring mounted on the case; and cams on the shaft, arranged to force the spring against said c0ntact-piece as the shaft revolves, said cams corresponding in number and distribution about the axis of the shaft to the number and intervals in the complete cycle of the engines action of the explosions in the several explosion-chambers; combined with a secondary circuit comprising a contact-piece carried by the shaft, and a plurality of cooperating terminal contact-pieces mounted on the case, corresponding in number and distribution about the path of the shaft-carried piece to the number and distribution throughout the complete cycle of the enginesaction of the explosions in the several chambers thereof, and in positions respectively to be encountered by the shaft-carried contact-piece during the closures of the primary circuit caused by said cams.

15. In combination with the case, A, and shaft journaled therein, the primary circuit, comprising said case, and a contact-piece mounted thereon; one of said parts being insulated from and the other electrically connected with the engine-frame; a spring mounted on the case and normally out of contact with said contact-piece; and a plurality of cams on the shaft in position to encounter said spring and force it againstsaid contactpiece as the shaft revolves.

16. In combination withagas-engine,acurrent-distributor, and a circuit-breaker for the igniters of the explosion-chambers, comprising a vertical shaft revolved in uniform time relation to the engine crank-shaft; an upwardly open case at the upper end of said shaft, rigidly mounted with respect to said frame, said case and shaft having all inclosed within the case cooperating circuit closing and opening contact-pieces for the primary and secondary circuits, arranged to be visible from above the case.

17. In combination with a motor-vehicle, a current-distrihuter and circuit-breaker for the igniters 0f the explosion-chambers of the motor, comprising a vertical shaft revolved in uniform time relation to the engine crankshaft; an upwardly open case at the upper end of said shaft rigidly mounted on the vehicle-frame, said case and shaft having all inclosed Within the case circuit-closing con- [0' tact-pieces for the primary and secondary circuits of the igniter, arranged to be visible.

from above the case. V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two Witnesses, at

Kenosha, Wisconsin, this 21st day'of Octo- 15 her, 1902.

THOS. B. JEFFERY.

In presence of T. W. JOHNSTON, GEO. H. EDDY. 

